MOVIE NEWS – Osgood Perkins, the director of Longlegs, has finally unveiled the true meaning behind the film’s mysterious title. Starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, the film is arguably the most anticipated horror movie of the year and has already shattered a box office record for Neon, grossing $22.6 million in its domestic debut.

The movie follows FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), who uses her semi-psychic intuition to pursue the infamous satanic serial killer Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). As Harker gets closer to capturing the killer, she realizes that he has had a profound impact on her since childhood.

Nicolas Cage’s portrayal of Longlegs has become one of his most memorable roles, but fans were puzzled by how director Oz Perkins came up with such an unusual name. In an interview with Collider, Perkins explained the inspiration behind the enigmatic title. He said:

“I don’t know if it has a meaning or not. It doesn’t have meaning. I like words, and it’s a good word. It sounds good. It sounds sort of scary but also sort of fun. It sounds pure. It sounds like the ’70s to me. It sounds like something Robert Plant might have sung in a Zeppelin song. It has an old pin-up quality to it. It invokes a certain time, I suppose, and there’s an awkwardness to it that he has, that the character has a sort of uneasy clumsiness to him. I don’t know; it just feels good.”

In the end, the director’s fascination with eerie names perfectly matches Nicolas Cage’s character, who can be quite menacing even when he’s not trying. It is up to the audience to create their own story about why Longlegs is such a disturbing name for a horror character and film.

Longlegs is Crushing it at the Box Office

Given the film’s rising popularity since its theatrical release, it’s no surprise that it broke a record in Thursday previews. The occult horror thriller made an estimated $22.6 million in 2510 theaters over three days since its world premiere on July 12, 2024. In contrast, other much-anticipated films like Fly Me to the Moon are stalling at $10 million, struggling to advance despite positive reviews.

It’s been a long time since a movie has been marketed the way Neon teased Longlegs. Keeping its biggest star hidden, showing only snippets of the story, and ensuring everyone was talking about it by the time it hit theaters, the film exceeded all expectations over its opening weekend. While the audience reception hasn’t been as strong as the critical acclaim, the film has managed to keep viewers on edge with its unsettling atmosphere from start to finish.